"On my first trip up to Marist in about two months, I had the pleasure of going out to lunch with Jaimie and the Ferretti family as well as two other players on the team: manager Bree D'Agati, and captain Marissa Mertens. This lunch trip was spur of the moment when Jaimie’s parents decided to come to Marist last minute. I was sitting on the couch with Bree when Marissa had called us asking if we wanted to go to lunch. Of course, we said yes... How could anyone say no to Jaimie?
Just being around Jaimie and the rest of the family brought smiles to everyone’s faces. We were all so excited just to be all together that the quick lunch turned into a three hour sit down. We all had a blast, we were sharing stories, Jaimie was telling us about how she is doing in school, along with her crazy stories about hunting.
One of the funniest things that Jaimie had said during lunch was “When I go hunting, I’m going to find a rabbit, name it fluffy, and then eat it for dinner!” She almost had us all in tears. As she said that, her father, Daniel, had never looked so proud, while her mother, Debbie, just chuckled and looked at us and said “She’s Crazy!”
I truly found out how strong Jaimie was during this lunch, and I don’t mean strong because of everything she has been through, I mean physically strong!! As she arm wrestled everyone at the table I was shocked when she finally arm wrestled me. I honestly thought everyone was just letting her win, but I really struggled to beat her. She is ridiculously strong for a child her age!
Being around Jaimie you would never think she is a child who is having such a tough battle against her health. She is just like any other child her age, and is always smiling. The people who truly don’t get enough credit are Jaimie’s parents Debbie and Daniel! I don’t think in a million years that I would ever be as strong as they are or be able to go through what they go through everyday. However day to day they keep a positive attitude and if it wasn’t for them, Jaimie and her brother Daniel truly wouldn’t be as great of kids as they are today!"
- Samantha Pace
Live in the moment. Play in the moment.
I like how you changed your blog up this week, Amanda. To hear a teammate’s voice is refreshing; readers gain a new perspective regarding Jaimie. The quote makes me feel like I am listening to someone tell me a story. Sam includes such cute, memorable Jaimie anecdotes. Jaimie’s “hunting” philosophy makes me laugh, and like Jaimie’s parents, my parents would probably react differently, as well. Her arm-wrestling ability is a great symbol of her fearlessness and strength. At the end of the quote, Sam heartwarmingly acknowledges Jaimie’s parents. I agree with her saying that “‘I don’t think in a million years that I would ever be as strong as they are”—the line resonates with those who have seen family or friends suffer. The picture that you include is fitting, not only because of the people within it, but because of the field in the background. Your teammates, Jaimie, and her brother look so happy that it makes me smile. The thick white border is aesthetically pleasing, as well. If you include quotes from other teammates in future posts, I suggest adding a conclusion to wrap up the posts. Hearing your voice at the beginning and end shows consistency and reminds readers who is in charge. I would also suggest including questions that you (or others) ask your interviewees. Readers could see pre-determined and follow-up questions and compare actual answers to their expectations. Questions would also break up large quotes from one speaker. Overall, though, great job! It has been my pleasure to read your blog throughout this half of the semester. Thanks for sharing such an inspirational story. I will be sure to continue reading!
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This post made me smile. It was absolutely adorable!!!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed that you used someone's story direct from the source. It was great new outlook, and I think this post came at the right time. I think up until now, you have done an excellent job of giving readers information to let us feel like we know Jaimie and her history, but this week was perfect timing to shine a different light on her. It was uplifting, the tone was so carefree, and overall, it reminded me that at the end of the day, she is just a kid. So awesome job :)
Maybe, if Jaimie would be up to it, you could ask her a few questions (nothing too personal), but just ones such as what her favorite memories are from being with the team. I think that would be equally exciting for her, your blog, and us readers following her journey with all of you. You're doing an amazing job with keeping this blog suspenseful- I never know what's coming next and that can be hard to do. Keep it up!
-Renee
Loved this post! You're doing a really great job with keeping us interested every week and I love how excited I get about your posts when I start to read them. I liked that you brought in someone else's view with this post, it really added some flavor and kept it fresh!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could add a caption under the picture to show us who the girls on the team are (Is Sam one of them?) so that we can connect more to the picture itself!
Overall, great job!!!
-Stephanie